


Shooting Stars

by orphan_account



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Arena AU, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Identity Reveal, Multi, No Superpowers AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reveal, Romance, Tags May Change, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-06-04 21:33:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6676183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Butterfly Arena is the biggest and most famous one. The two most popular performers face different events as they gradually grow closer. But in the end, their fates might be already sealed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Marinette took a deep breath and sighed. This wasn't getting easier at all. She was staring at the plain ceiling above her and wondered if this was all that life would have to offer for her. With another sigh rolled around the bed and decided she couldn’t sleep. It was still early and the other girls were still asleep. Marinette couldn’t blame them though. They had a tough day ahead.

With a small smile she carefully climbed down the ladder of her bunk bed and grabbed her clothes, sneaking out of the room she shared with a few of the other girls. She planned to take a shower. Usually the showers were open for the girls later but it was so early, the chance of running into someone were so slim that she as well could get a headstart into her workday and already go ahead. 

Sneaking through the hallways barefooted, the bundle of clothes and her soap wrapped into her big towel pressed against her chest, she felt how much cozier the bedroom had have been. There was a cold breeze blowing through the hallways, the cold stone walls and the wooden or metal doors not isolated enough to keep the wind from outside slipping into the large complex beneath the arena. Goosebumps covered her bare arms and the tank top she had slept in didn’t provide much protection against the chilly air. The pants she wore were slightly too long on her, she kept stepping onto the hem with her heels. Her black hair was loose, the bluish bangs messy and untamed. The bedhead looked kind of cute on her, even if she would deny it.

She was getting closer and thanked her luck that she hadn’t encountered anyone on her way to the showers. Relieved and slightly more relaxed she stepped inside and and let the door fall shut behind her only to stop immediately.

* * *

The Butterfly Arena in the capital was the biggest and best known arena in the whole country. Maybe even around the world. It was a place unlike any others. 

The tickets were too expensive for anyone who didn’t belong to the richer ten percent of the world. At least unless someone saved up their money until they could afford one ticket. 

The events in the Arena were never publicly shown. No TV or radio station were allowed to broadcast even the tiniest bit of what happened inside the giant walls of the arena. What happened in there would stay in there forever. Just like the people there. Once part of this, you would be forever part of this. It was for most of the workers there just a nice prison. 

Everyone had their own reasons for working there. Many had still hope that they would one day land a better job and get out of there.

The work there was different depending each person. Some earned a lot of money, some earned too little to even feed themselves. It depended on how much you were ready to give up to earn money. 

Once a week the arena opened it’s gates and the rich and successful would come in large numbers, ready to watch whatever show the arena would have to offer for them that week. 

They would scream the stage names of the performers and bet on them, trying to predict who would give the best performance. 

And the two most popular performer’s faces were currently displayed all over the outside walls of the arena.

Nathanaël, one of the area's best artists had painted a few months ago the faces of the current crowd’s favorites onto the stone. Outside the arena he was known as the Evilustraror and his art pieces were always sold for a lot of money. He had money. He could have lived a comfortable live from what he earned with his paintings. But if he wouldn’t work exclusively for the arena anymore he would lose their support and he needed them to be able to actually sell his paintings. And he was fine with being trapped there. After all he got to do his art.

Outside his art he was pretty unknown though. Unlike the two whose faces he had drawn onto the wall.

One of those two most popular ones was currently frozen, trying to process what to do and panicking internally.

_Breath, Marinette_ , she scolded herself and tried to get a grip.

The showers were one big room with several stalls. Each person could have their own stall and they even had doors for privacy. And currently in one of them was water running and a male voice stopped humming as he frowned at the sound of the door falling shut.

“Hello?”, he called out, confused to who would come shower at this unholy time.

Marinette knew that there were only little people who would take a shower that early. And she would recognize that voice anywhere.

“Chat?”, she asked and held her breath. She hoped she were right. Even though she was sure that it was her partner, she still couldn’t help but to doubt herself.

The blond inside the stall grinned immediately and stood onto his toes, waving his hand above the door so she would see which stall he occupied.

“I’m here, my Lady!”, he said cheerfully and she immediately rolled her eyes. Of course it was him.

“Of course it’s you, mon minou…”, she groaned and relaxed again. It was only Chat Noir. And it wasn’t the first time this happened, too. She’ll be fine.

“Care to join me in here, Bugaboo?”, he laughed, hearing her annoyance immediately and grabbed the soap, continuing his shower routine. 

Marinette shook her head at the flirtatious male and got into the stall right next to him, slamming the door shut.

“I’d rather have my own stall”, she said and started stripping out of her clothes, putting them into the plastic bag each stall had, reserved for the things that were supposed to stay dry, and turned on the water. She squealed a little and jumped out if the way of the ice cold water, crashing against the thin stall wall that separated her and Chat Noir, making the performer start laughing loudly.

“Are you fine there, my Lady?”, he asked, truly worried but still amused. “You almost tore down the wall.”

Marinette grumbled, rubbing her aching shoulder. Typically her. She was such a klutz. 

“I’m fine…”

“I have a feline that I might need to check up on you, my Lady”, her partner mused and awkwardly tried to reach every spot on his back to clean it, thankful that the woman he actually fell for was unable to see him right now. It looked plain hilarious.

Marinette groaned and stepped under the now warmer water and grabbed the soap. She started to soap her hair as she stood there, slightly bend forward as she let the water fall down her back and she massaged her scalp. 

“I am fine. No need to check up on anyone”, she replied annoyed. Those puns would be the death of her.

“Sure?”, the emerald eyed male asked and stepped underneath the stream of water, washing off the soap from his body and back. “I can wash your back.”

“I am _fine_ ”, she repeated and wondered why he was such a flirt. “I can wash my back just fine.”

Chat had to admit that Ladybug was pretty flexible. He had seen her skills in the arena and only shrugged. She might as well indeed be able to wash her back way better than he was able to wash his own. But that didn’t mind helping her out or even getting some help from her. He would rather enjoy it.

“Suit yourself. I just wanted to help.”

Sighing he looked at the wall separating them and touched it gently, the water falling down onto him, the soap long gone and making his hair stick to his head.

_I love you_ , he mouthed, still not having the courage to say the words out loud. He swore she would hear them one day but it was still a while until that day would come.


	2. Chapter 2

Alya was _not_ expecting to be woken up by Marinette tripping and falling onto her. But to be honest it was no rarity. After all the half asian girl was known for her clumsiness. 

“Urg... It’s just you”, she groaned and leaned back onto her rather flat and uncomfortable pillow. 

Marinette blushed from embarrassment and got up but Alya did not fail to notice that the girl’s hair was definitely damp to say the least and according to the clock it was another hour until the girl’s shower times would be.

“Girl… When the fuck did you take a shower?”, Alya asked with a raised brow.

“Shhh!”, Marinette shushed her and looked around the room, afraid of their roommates to hear and wake up.

“No need to be quiet, Mari…”, a voice across the room said with a groan as the black and purple haired girl turned around in her bed to face them.

“Yeah… Alya woke us up already”, the short and easily scared girl from the other bunk bed said quietly.

“And we all know you regularly take early morning showers together with Chat Noir”, Rose in the bed above Juleka said with an innocence that almost sounded weird. 

Marinette blushed only more and one after another the girls got up and sleepily rubbed their eyes. They were used to being woken up early by Marinette’s clumsiness. But usually they would pretend they didn’t hear anything and let Marinette go back to sleep again only to wake her up later when she was already running late.

Alya looked at Marinette as she grabbed her usual Lady Wifi costume to put it on.

“You know… You could finally admit that you are dating Chat Noir”, she said as she stepped into her jumpsuit.

“I am not dating Chat Noir!”, Marinette exclaimed and Alya just rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, sure.”

“I am saying the truth!”

“But you are taking showers together”, Rose said quietly.

“Yeah. I heard you both the other day. Thank god you weren’t getting touchy but I still definitely heard the both of you in there”, Juleka said calmly. “All of the girls know. I wonder how many of the boys know.”

“Evillustrator probably not”, Mylene said quietly and sighed. “He still keeps asking Ivan to give me drawings that I should give _Ladybug_.”

“Ouch. Is the poor boy still head over heels for Mari?”, Alya asked and Marinette just could look back and forth between the girls that were getting busy.

“Yep. Ivan says he calls Ladybug his muse”, Mylene replied and Rose giggled.

“I don’t think it’s like that!”, Marinette butt in. “I doubt Nathanael feels that way!”

It went silent and the girls just all went and made a quiet _ohhhh_ together, leaving Marinette clueless as to what was the problem.

“He told her his name”, Alya said.

“Yup. He is definitely head over heels for Mari”, Juleka said.

Rose sighed dreamily: “Ah, the pain of a star crossed love~! The poor artist pinning after his muse only to have his heartbroken because of a secret love between his princess and her knight! So romantic!”

Mylene grimaced.

“Girl, you know the Boss uses disguises and artist names for a reason. When we are outside our dorm rooms we are not allowed to talk about where we are from or who we used to be. If Evillustrator broke this rule to tell you his name then he definitely must like you”, Alya explained and Mari’s eyes widened.

“O-Oh… And I thought he was just being polite… oh no… I told him my name in return… if I break his heart he won’t hate me and tell the Boss, right?”, Marinette said uncomfortable.

“She told him her name”, Juleka groaned. “He probably thinks she likes him back.”

“She hasn’t even told Chat Noir her name”, Mylene said dreadfully. “He will be so jealous…”

“But she said she has to break his heart, right?”, Alya said. “So it means she and Chat Noir _are_ dating!”

“Yay!”, cheered Rose and clapped into her hands.

“H-Hey!”, Marinette called out, her head spinning and her face red as a certain artist’s hair. “Stop talking to me as if I am not here! And Chat Noir and I am not dating! I like someone else!”

The whole room went silent.

“Someone else?”, the girls exclaimed surprised and Alya narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t believe her best friend had been hiding a crush on a different guy from her!

“Who?”

* * *

“That’s him?”

“Shhh! He’ll hear you!”

“Marinette… I don’t think you have a chance with this one…”

“Ah~! Even more unlucky love! How romantic!”

“Shush you two! And I will somehow hook you up with Mister Handsome over there.”

“Really? Alya you are the best!”

“Okay. So what’s his name?”

“Ah… I don’t know… We haven’t talked to each other yet…”

“What?!? Not even said hi?”

“No… I saw him come out of the shower one day and came earlier ever since in the hope to be there when he is there or meet him… but after that only Chat appeared. And every day so.”

“You wanted to meet this guy in the shower?”

“Yeah. What's wrong?”

“Nothing, Mari… Nothing…”

* * *

As the small group of girls was back at the room, Mylene, who was too scared to accompany them, welcomed them back.

“So? Did you see him?”, asked the short nervous girl.

“Mhm”, hummed Alya with a nod. “He’s definitely a hottie. Chat Noir has no chance. Unless that guy is as much of a dork as Chat is. Then they’d be head to head.”

“I am telling you, Mari has no chance with that boy. She should forget him. I don’t even know what he is doing here”, Juleka said quietly.

Alya frowned angrily as Marinette felt her heart drop.

“Again? Why do you keep saying this? Mari is such a wonderful girl and cute! She could have any guy she want!”

“Alya… it’s fine.. It’s not like I even had the courage to approach him until now”, Marinette said quietly.

“That’s not it”, Juleka said and grabbed one of the magazines she had stored beneath her bed. She opened the slightly older issue and the same boy they just had seen in the Arena’s hallways smiled at them from a picture that was covering the whole page.

“Adrien Agreste…”, Marinette mumbled in shock.

“Fuck”, Alya groaned. “He’s the Agreste kid. Model and only child of Gabriel Agreste. I doubt he works here like you thought. Sorry, Mari.”

Marinette looked at the picture and frowned. Seemed like she really would have no chance.

* * *

“You seem a bit down, my lady”, Chat Noir said and looked worried at Ladybug. He stopped their training and stepped closer to her. “What happened?”

Ladybug only shook her head.

“It’s nothing, mon chaton…”

Chat frowned and nod. He knew she won’t talk to him if she didn’t want to and all he could do was comply.

“I see…”

But that didn’t mean that he wasn’t worried when the love of his life was sad.


	3. Chapter 3

Ladybug stood proud and smiling in the center of the rink, waving gracefully as she received the roaring applause of the audience. Her job was simple. Entertain the audience. And being the most favorite female performer she seemed to do her job well. It didn't matter that inside she actually just wanted to turn around and leave, letting the sadness over the revelation of who she was admiring show on her face, instead of having to hide it behind a bright smile.

Her partner looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. Just like her he was forced to grin like an idiot and wave, a beautiful end to the big act they had taken part of. Today hadn't been difficult but it certainly had been unpleasant with him constantly worrying about his lady. 

“Are you okay?”, he asked, voice low, to keep the microphones and cameras from catching his words.

Ladybug only answered with a quick firm nod and smiled at him even brighter, flashing teeth. It looked so wrong.

Evilustrator frowned as he looked down onto the scene in front of him.

“I am sorry... this week's scene isn't suitable for a painting”, he said quietly and the headmaster of the artistic division glared at him.

“No apologies and excuses. Hawkmoth wants a painting and he'll get one. You are the best painter but that doesn't mean you have privileges. You are going to work just like everyone else here. Understood?”

Evilustrator looked down, his brows furrowed and returned to the stall in the entrance hall that featured his paintings. 

And while he was walking towards the small space that would be soon crowded by visitors that wanted his art of Ladybug and Chat Noir, he mumbled a few words quietly under his breath.

“But her smile was fake...”

* * *

_Punch._

_Kick. Kick. Punch._

Adrien huffed as he landed the last punch onto the sandbag and stopped his training for a short break. 

The male was wearing his training uniform. It was less flashy and expensive than his actual uniform he was wearing in the rink but it did just as well to hide his identity from others that might come in to him training.

He wore a black tracksuit with bright green lines on it, the jacket abandoned on a bench as he was wearing only a back t-shirt. His feet were bare and his hands only protected by some bandages. His usual mask was the only thing he kept from his usual uniform. It was simply a perfect fit and it had taken some time for him to get used to the slightly decreased vision he had gotten from the mask. 

Everything in this arena was highly technical and so were the suits. The artificial cat ears that rested on his head during fights amplified every sound around him, making his hearing better. His mask somehow provided him even with night vision and the claws on his gloves were harder than diamond, cutting through everything he would want to claw his way through. His baton extended with a press of a button and his so called special move, the _Cataclysm_ was something so highly scientific that even he failed to fully understand it's power. 

Wiping the sweat from his forehead above his mask, he started throwing punches and kicks at the sandbag. 

It was true that his main weapon was the baton but during the last fight he had lost his weapon and found himself being at a disadvantage. So he had to train his close combat to make sure to always keep his lady safe.

And no one could get him to not do so.

“You're training too hard, kid. You'll only exhaust yourself like that.”

Adrien, Chat Noir, groaned and threw his head back.

“What are you doing here, Plagg?.”

“I am your trainer and came to tell you to stop being stubborn. The guard said you are training already for four hours straight.”

Adrien didn't turn around and chuckled, only throwing more punches against the sandbag as if to prove a point.

“Gorilla usually is pretty quiet. I wonder what made him so chatty.”

Plagg only rolled his eyes and grabbed the male's ankle of the leg that was about to land a kick onto the leather surface of the sandbag.

“Stop.”

Adrien frowned and relaxed. There was no winning against Plagg and he knew that. He didn't know what exactly Plagg was but he was definitely stronger than any human being on earth. Maybe some sort of alien...? Adrien had spend already years on figuring out his trainer's identity but only found out as much as that he was several thousands of years old and had trained every Chat Noir so far. 

“Fine. What do you really want?”, asked Adrien as he pulled his ankle out of Plagg's relaxed grip and lowered his leg, starting to unwrap his hands from the bandages.

“I was informed by Hawkmoth that the following acts will be more dangerous until what you have done until now. Apparently some shitty research said that people are getting bored of your 'half assed' program and that less and less people come regularly to watch the show.”

“They can all leave. Then we wouldn't have to do this anymore”, Adrien said bitter, thinking about whatever made his lady sad. This arena was no place for her. Sure, she was confident and strong, but he had found out from the reporter girl working for the arena, Lady Wifi, that the girl under the mask was actually a sweet and rather shy girl. The arena made Ladybug put up an act and it pained him to see, especially if it was so evident that she was suffering underneath her smile.

“Kid, you know that this arena will have to keep existing. Too many families and people depend on the money the people working here send them. And it was the only place that was able to free you from your father's grasp”, Plagg said and handed the boy his jacket.

“I know. It doesn't mean that I still wish it would be... better. I mean we are all working here, everyone in a different division and even thought we usually do something we like, we feel like prisoners.”

Plagg looked worried at Adrien.

“You... aren't thinking about revolting, are you?”

Adrien sighed and looked down to his hands.

“I don't know what to think anymore.”

* * *

Alya took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

“Girl... this is bad. Like really bad. The level was already raised half a year ago and you managed so far but now they want to rise the level again? They can not do that!”

Marinette groaned and threw herself onto Alya's bed.

“There is nothing I can do, Alya. Hawkmoth's order. You know he's the boss.”

Alya gestured widely with her hands as she spoke. It was obvious she was very upset with this decision.

“I can not film and do reports on your fights calmly if I know my best friend is in danger! I don't give a shit about the videos being sold to the audience and Hawkmoth can kiss my ass if he thinks I will still record with such a high quality! If he wants to put you into danger than I will provide the same level of skill as the other ones in my division and he can expect only videos with horribly shaky cameras as they run through the rink to capture the best moves!”

“He will cut your salary”, Juleka said quietly and Alya snorted.

“I don't care!”

“Your younger siblings will are though”, Juleka replied and Alya's shoulders dropped.

Indeed, she had been doing this all to support her family outside the arena, fully knowing they might get a comfortable life and gave up the chance of ever seeing them again and instead chose to live and work in this arena in exchange for her family's well-being.

Marinette smiled softly and got up, hugging her best friend tightly.

“It's fine. I know the risks and I chose this life. I will be fine. After all Chat always has my back, right?”

Alya returned her smile weakly and nod.

“He better does.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, I would absolutely love some feedback or if you spot mistakes, then feel free to tell me so! Thank you very much for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg suggests couple therapy.

Ladybug sighed once again and Chat Noir only looked at her worried. He stopped asking if everything was fine after the twentieth time. Ladybug wouldn't tell him anyway. She was keeping it a secret and it was no secret that he was not happy about it.

Plagg and Tikki watched the two of them and exchanged looks. The two were not in sync and it put a lot of strain onto their performance. It was so obvious. No matter which move they would train, it all looked too forced and the natural balance they used to share was gone. 

Their minds were at different places and it made them mess up moves. Ladybug didn't give of the same body signs she usually would when she'd start off a certain move. Misinterpreted by Chat Noir, he would crash against her petite form, making her fall. He quickly reached out for her, slightly panicked and her eyes were just as widened in shock as his. This has never happened before. They had been a perfect fit as partners right from the beginning.

Chat caught her and straightened her up, letting her go when he was sure she'd be able to stand on their own. 

Plagg groaned and walked towards the door. He was tired of watching them and Tikki, Ladybug's trainer looked in shock at him. He was Chat's trainer! He needed to stay! Especially when those two had those major problems.

“Plagg! Where are you going?”, Tikki called out and the two performer also looked now at the trainer.

Plagg turned around and faced the three pair of eyes that were fixed on him.

“I am tired of watching those two idiots! They don't need training, they can easily pull this off tomorrow! What they need is some couple therapy!”, Plagg replied, obviously angry and turned back around again, walking straight out of the room without looking back again.

Tikki's face showed worry and distress. She looked pleadingly at the two performers and threw them an apologetic look.

“I'll talk to him. I'll be right back. Just continue training. I believe in you two”, she said and quickly left the room, too.

Chat only groaned and plopped down onto the bench at the wall of the room and grabbed his drink. Ladybug just stood awkwardly in the middle of the room and sighed, her face and body language revealing that she was starting to drown in whatever melancholy possessed her lately. And Chat was tired of seeing his lady like this.

He stood up again and walked up to her, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

“Hey, bugaboo. Wake up. Come back to reality”, he said, a slight undertone of annoyance in his voice.

Ladybug blinked confused and her eyes widened when she noticed what was happening. With a frown she quickly got a hold of Chat's hand and pulled it away from her face.

“Leave me alone, Chat. I am not in the mood for this.”

Chat Noir ran a hand through his messy hair, brushing his cat ears while doing so.

“Not in the mood for this, huh? What are you in the mood for then? You are clearly not telling me something and I am tired of watching you be upset and not even know what it is. You outright refuse to let me cheer you up and even thought we have our disagreements, Plagg is right. We are not performing the way we usually do”, Chat said quietly.

Ladybug grimaced and sat down, leaving Chat to be the one standing now.

“Kitty...”, she started but didn't continue when she looked up into Chat's face. She hadn't been prepared for the vulnerable and desperate expression in his face. He almost looked like he was begging.

“Please let me help you, bugaboo”, he said quietly and Ladybug stayed silent, not knowing how to reply.

Sure, she trusted her partner more than anyone else but this was a whole different issue. He'd probably laugh at her for falling for a person she doesn't truly know and then only got crushed all hope immediately. Even she knew it was stupid.

“I can't-”

“Do you trust me?”, Chat interrupted her and his expression was more serious now, his eyes fixed onto hers, reading her, trying to find out the secret she was hiding.

Ladybug sighed before answering. 

“I do.”

“And we are partners, right?”

A nod.

“And you know me well, right?”

“I guess so...”

“Then you should know that you can talk about anything to me. I will keep it a secret and not judge. You know I won't”, he finally replied.

Ladybug looked at him, now feeling bad for keeping this a secret from him. She was still afraid of him knowing the whole truth but he was right. He was trustful and he only wanted to help. She might tell him at least the gist of what was bothering her. He was her best friend after all.

Chat relaxed relieved when he saw the change in Ladybug's expression and read in her eyes that she would tell him, let him help her. 

A blush slowly started spreading on her cheeks but he couldn't really tell if it was due to embarrassment over what she was about to tell or maybe something else related to him. Well, the second one was more of a wishful thinking on his side though.

“Well... There is this guy...”, Ladybug started and those few words were enough to make his stomach drop. Whoever the mysterious guy was, it was obvious she cared greatly for him. It made his blood run cold and breathing was suddenly more difficult. His lady has fallen for someone else. And it pained him to know that.

Ladybug felt the change, seeing his body go stiff and she frowned, stopping in her story before she actually got to really tell it.

“Are you okay, mon chaton? What's wrong?”

Chat quickly got a grip on himself and smiled. Due to where he came from he was way better than Ladybug in faking to be fine. 

“Just a muscle cramping up”, he lied smoothly and Ladybug nod, swallowing his lie.

“I see... Do you want to sit down?”, she asked and slid a bit to the side, giving Chat more space to sit down at.

He took the offer and sat down next to her quietly.

“So... A guy?”, he then asked, eager to get the attention off him.

“Yeah... I kind of developed a crush on him. Silly because I don't even really ever talked to him or know him even that well”, she continued her story. “And well... I found out recently that I never had a chance with him and I guess it just kind of came unexpected to me. I must have hoped to get a chance more than I knew.”

Chat relaxed internally. Even if his lady's heart was currently aching for some other guy, she didn't belong to that stranger. He still had a chance. Relieved, he pulled his partner into a hug and smiled a little, this time genuine. 

“His loss. You are amazing, bugaboo. I am sure that whoever you will end up with in the end, will treat you like a princess”, he said. _And I wish to be that knight who treats you like a princess._

Ladybug was glad he didn't make fun of her and she immediately felt her spirit lifted. She returned the hug and buried her head in his shoulder.

“Thank you, mon chaton. It means a lot to me”, she replied.

 _You treat me better than I deserve_ , she quietly thought to herself but didn't say it out loud, knowing from experience that Chat Noir would disagree.

* * *

Lady Wifi climbed onto the platform and took a deep breath before the bright headlights shone onto her.

“Welcome, Ladies and Gentleman! Today's show is nothing like you've ever seen it before!”, she said loudly with a bright smile into the microphone, her voice being carried through the arena by the large speakers.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment because I absolutely need some feedback to be able to improve. And if you spot mistakes of any kind, please be so kind to make me aware of them! I spotted some in my last chapter and was kind of sad no one pointed them out when they read it. So please, I would love some criticism and feedback if it isn't too much of a bother for you. Thank you very much for reading.

The crowd cheered and screamed the names of those they liked the most. The bright, hot flood lights made them sweat, making their technically enhanced costumes only more unbearable. Chat Noir's eyes, his night vision and vision in generally enhanced due to the mask he was wearing, were burning. But it was nothing new. He had gotten used to the bright lights in the arenas. It wasn't much different to looking straight into flashing cameras. Ladybug next to him forced a smile onto her lips, trying to ignore the feeling of her sweat already pooling at her back. The lights were so bright, illuminating every move of hers. 

They were watching. Not only the visitors, those who paid enormous sums to see their performance, but also those who were able to afford the private TV broadcast fees to see it at home. It was a new system. Created to attract more people. More witnesses to what they were doing. More mouths that would spread the tale of the ladybug and the cat in the arena, performing for those who were willing to watch.

Views were important. Money was important. Some had too much. Some had too little. 

He had too much, she had too little. He chose to come here, she was pulled into this.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Ladybug kept her eyes focused on that one being that was watching them, just like the viewers. But their eyes were filled with hunger.

She couldn't begin to explain what or who that being was. It was a monster. It looked like a demon. A mutated and ugly being, only created by science to destroy. Created to be destroyed. To defeat or to be defeated. There was no sense behind creating this monster. It was created purely for the amusement who would want to watch.

The monster, demon, whatever you'd call it, roared and dashed forward towards Ladybug. She nod towards Chat and he immediately knew what to do. She had a plan. The matter would be settled within minutes. Not long anymore. They had filled their quota of fighting twenty minutes against that dangerous experiment-gone-wrong. It had been life threatening so far, unpredictable but Chat Noir had faith that Ladybug already had figured out how to defeat it. After all it was nothing more than a dull creature created by science to look as wild as possible to make them look as glorious as possible.

Ladybug jumped away backwards and swung her yo yo. She didn't know exactly how it worked but science these days just was that amazing. Chat Noir in the meanwhile rushed to where she used to stand, baton ready, and blocked the monster's attack. He smirked and heard the crowd go wild as Ladybug performed her signature move and threw her yo yo up into the air.

And at that moment, not only her, but also all her fans screamed along.

“Lucky Charm!”

The cheers and the excitement grew tenfold as the arena exploded. Their cheered her name, over and over and she smiled brightly in one of the cameras as she caught the Lucky Charm with utmost grace. This was about appearances. Make it look easy, as if you actually enjoy doing this. 

“Chat!”, she shouted. “Now!”

He nod and smirked and jumped away from the creature, standing now next to Ladybug. And it took the crowd only a few seconds until they recognized his posture and one could hear the fangirls scream from afar as he winked into the cameras and shouted the name of his signature move.

“Cataclysm!”

The crowd knew now, the finale had finally come. Twenty minutes of tense atmosphere, a fight for their lifes, finally turned to show who truly was superior. 

Chat Noir dashed forward with a grin and attacked the creature, breaking with his corrosion skill the hard protective shell and jumped out of the way, just in time. Ladybug jumped forward and pierced the monster with the spear her Lucky Charm had produced. 

The mutated being fell to the floor defeated and it's body deflated like a leaking balloon. But no one was paying attention to that. They all only cared for the duo standing next to each other in the middle of the arena, waving victoriously towards the crowd. Standing ovations and gifts flying at them, they were used to it already. This had been a new show. This hadn't been a show fight between the existing fighters. This had been a real fight against an ugly monster. It had been real and exhilarating. The crowd already grew addicted to this new rush of excitement and needed more. It was the start of a new era. A new type of show fighting. There was no going back.

And as the crowed loved it, the pair just stood there, waving and smiling while thinking one thing in unison.

_I hate that you make me do this._

* * *

Lady Wifi sighed and stopped smiling, relieving her aching face muscles. She didn't like this. Not at all. 

“You did good today. Next time thought you should try to sound even a little bit more excited. Maybe chant along with the crowd during major moments like the Lucky Charm”, her section leader said and she nodded, only halfheartedly registering what he was telling her.

It was ridiculous. Why was this happening?

“Can I ask you something?”, she said quietly, expecting to be hit with rejection.

“Sure. What is it?” She did not expect that but she also wouldn't back down.

“Why did Hawkmoth change the fights? Why are they fighting monsters now?”

She eyes her boss seriously and he sighed.

“This business is all about views and popularity. If the people aren't entertained enough anymore, they will just leave like rats the sinking ship. We have too little truly capable fighters and those show fights were just too... harmless. They were defeated to quickly and not even a single drop of blood was spilled. It was simply too unrealistic. It was exciting for a while but the watchers grew sick of the repetitive fights. So Hawkmoth came up with using failed experiments on humans from the lab to let the performers fight against those. And the people love it. It is real and it is entertaining. We had to step up our game sooner or later if we wouldn't have wanted this place to go down and us losing our jobs”, he explained.

Lady Wifi nodded. 

“I see... I understand... There is nothing we can do then, huh...?”, she mumbled and left, going to seek out her best friend. Hopefully she and Chat weren't too hurt.


End file.
